By Mark H
January 20 2006

How many more “biggest matches of the season” can we have? So far I make it, including tomorrow’s game in France, four (Brive home, Leeds away in the cup and the league, and now this).

This time, however, the label is most appropriate.  A win tomorrow in the Parc Municipal would mean a home draw for Falcons in both the quarter and semi-finals, and probable avoidance of Gloucester (who look to be the best side in the competition) until the final should either side get there. 

 

It’s not going to be easy though, for Brive are unbeaten at home this season, which included inflicting one of only four defeats Toulouse have suffered this season.  Looking at their overall European record, they’ve only lost twice at home too, with the last of those defeats coming in the 2000/01 quarter-final to Harlequins.

 

The 1997 European champions may not be the team that they were when they destroyed Leicester and came within one kick of making it back to back triumphs a year later against Bath (still in my eyes the best Heineken Cup final ever), but they are still a dangerous outfit.  Should they reach the quarter-finals (and it appears likely that only a win tomorrow will ensure that) then they will be a tricky opponent.

 

For Falcons the equation is easy.  With a top four seeding and a home quarter final therefore guaranteed (unless Worcester get an absolute avalanche of tries in Montpellier this evening), a win will secure a top two seeding.  Anything less than that, and the likelihood is that the seeding will drop to third or even fourth, dependent on the results of tomorrow’s London Irish-Pau clash, and Northampton’s trip to Viadana scheduled for this evening – although as I write this, reports are coming back from Italy of sub-zero temperatures and thick fog, and pitches being left uncovered in freezing conditions!  (Did anyone mention Calvisano?)

 

Rob has picked his strongest available side:-

15 Matthew Burke
14 Tom May
13 Mathew Tait
12 Jamie Noon
11 James Hoyle
10 Dave Walder
9 James Grindal

1 Micky Ward
2 Andy Long
3 Robbie Morris
4 Andy Perry
5 Stuart Grimes
6 Owen Finegan
7 Ben Woods
8 Colin Charvis (captain)

Replacements:

Hall Charlton
Mark Wilkinson
Mark Mayerhofler
David Wilson
Matt Thompson
Andy Buist
Luke Gross

All we can now hope is that they can perform on the day and mean that we don’t have too far to go in April.